Artist&#39;s canvas



Nov. 10, 1959 E. v. SUNDT ARTIs'r's CANVAS Filed April 16, 1957 J4iii/jaw Jim;-

Unite This invention relates to an improved artists canvas, moreparticularly to an improvement over the canvas disclosed in my U.S.Patent No. 2,681,527, granted June 22, 1954.

The artists canvas with which the above-mentioned patent deals comprisesa woven glass cloth base made of smooth-surfaced strands such ascontinuous glass filaments. The base is stretchable and pliable so thatit may be applied readily to a frame. The woven glass base has astretchable and pliable light-transmitting polyethylene backing and afront layer of paint primer compatible to the paint to be used. Theprimer is applied by a roller to the base in a tacky condition and withsuflicient thickness that toothed indentations are formed as the tackypaint primer material separates from the roller. The toothedindentations serve as a means for removing paint from a brush appliedtothe canvas.

The present invention represents a substantial improvement over thiscanvas for reasons including the fact that it provides a canvas havinggreatly improved paintremoving qualities, has a texture or grain whichmore closely resembles that of conventional linen and cotton basedcanvases and is better suited to outdoor use because it avoids the colordistortion heretofore found on canvases used with the sunlight locatedbehind the canvas.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the strands of the wovenglass cloth base in at least one direction of weave are made of shortstaple glass fibers Whose ends are straddled along the lengths of thestrands to provide laterally projecting ends distributed throughout thelength of the strands. The strands extending in the other direction ofweave are preferably of the continuous filament type, but such strandsmay also be of the ragged type above described. The paint primer on thefront face of the woven glass cloth base is of such thinness thatsubstantially all of the staple fiber ends project through the paintprimer coating to provide a ragged surface created by the syntheticstrands themselves rather than by external indentations applied to theprimer coating as heretofore utilized in canvases having synthetic clothbases. Also, the thinness of the paint primer coating is such that theouter surface of the canvas has the grain or texture of the woven glassbase.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the polyethylene orother similar synthetic plastic backing material of the canvas disclosedin my above-mentioned patent is colored to render it light opaque. Thecanvas can thus be used outdoors with the sun behind the canvas withoutcolor distortion appearing on the painting surface of the canvas. If thecanvas were translucent or lightpervious, as in all artists canvasesheretofore made, the sunlight shining through the canvas would changethe apparent hue or color of the paint on the canvas relative to the hueor color of the paint under pure reflected light.

The aspect of the invention wherein an opaque backing I is applied tothe canvas is also applicable to cotton and linen based canvases whichhave heretofore been translucent.

States Patent 6 2,911,?47 Patented Nov. 10, 1959 Other advantages andfeatures of the invention will become apparent upon making reference tothe specification to follow, the claims and the drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of glass cloth base used, in thecanvas of the invention, a portion thereof being shown greatlymagnified; I

Fig. 2 is a transverse, enlarged sectional view through an artistscanvas including the glass cloth base of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a still further enlarged sectional view through the canvasshown in Fig. 2, taken along section line 33 thereof;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view through a modified and preferred formof glass cloth base for the canvas constructed in accordance with thepresent invention, a portion thereof being shown greatly magnified; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through an artistscanvas utilizing the glass cloth base of Fig. 4 and constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

Referring now to Figs. 1 through 3 which show one form of artists canvasconstructed in accordance with the present invention, this canvas,generally indicated by the reference numeral 10, includes a woven glassfiber cloth base 12 which is stretchable and pliable so that it may beapplied to a frame, a backing 14 for the glass cloth base formed by acoating of a pliable and stretchable organicsynthetic plastic materialimpregnating the back of the glass cloth base 12, and a front coating 16of a paint primer compatible to the particular paint or paints to beused to provide an anchor base for the paint when later applied, whichmay be oil or water base paints. The artists canvas disclosed in my U.S.Patent 2,681,527 has a three layer canvas with some of thecharacteristics just briefly outlined, but the various aspects of thepresent invention relate to modifications of the physicalcharacteristics of these layers which result in a substantially improvedartists canvas.

Referring now to the construction of the glass cloth base 12, the glassstrands 18 extending in both directions of weave are each comprised of avery large number of staple glass fibers of the same or varying lengthwhose ends are straddled along the lengths of the strands to providelaterally projecting fiber ends 20 distributed throughout the length ofeach such strand. The various fibers are twisted together to form acontinuous integral strand in accordance with the well known methods offabrication of glass thread. The glass fiber cloth base may have athickness in the order of from .008 to .010

. inch and may have a rectangular mesh of about 24 strands per inch. Theglass fiber cloth is, therefore, relatively close-woven so that thestrands present as much of a grain effect as possible, for a smoothsurface is not as good to paint upon with oils as a grained surface.Other characteristics of the woven glass fiber cloth base which make itexceedingly desirable in an artists canvas is its chemical inertness andresistance to moisture, fungus and mildew. Moreover, it is stretchableand pliable for convenient application to a supporting frame.

The paint primer coating 16, which may be applied by spraying, brushingor other means to the front surface of the glass fiber cloth base 12,fills the spaces between the glass fiber strands and follows the generalcontour thereof to provide the grain afforded by the close-woven clothbase 12. In accordance with the present invention, the paint primerlayer 16 is made sufiiciently thin that substantially all of theabove-mentioned laterally projecting fiber ends 20 project through thepaint primer layer. Thus, instead of providing a ragged or toothedsurface by providing toothed indentations in the paintprimer, as

utilized in my above-mentioned patent, the present invention provides araggedness by means of the relatively stiff glass fiber ends projectingthrough and beyond the surface of the paint primer layer or coating 16.A

' 3 similar result is obtained when the cloth base 12 is made of similarfibers of other synthetic threads, but is most effective with glassfibers.

The paint primer layer 16 is preferably one which is 7 compatible bothto oil base paints and water base paints, such as water colors andtempera. Thus, the artist can combine all of thesepaint types on thesame canvas if he so desires. In addition to being compatible to thepaint or paints to be used, it should also have good ad hesion to theglass fibers of the cloth base 12 and to the organic synthetic plasticbacking layer 14. The paint primer coating or layer 16 may be a suitablesynthetic resin paint primer, most desirably an alkyd resin base insuitable fillers, including, for example, a white pigment such astitanium dioxide. A paint primer which is particularly desirable withpaints having a linseed oil base may, for example, comprise a glue andwater mixture in the ratio of about 70 parts of glue to one thousandparts of water, to which are added zinc white and chalk in equal partsby weight, the zinc white and chalk together present in amountsapproximately equal to the amount of the glue, plus about two parts ofboiled linseed oil. In some paint primers, for example, powdered silicais used in place of the chalk. The paint primer also preferably includesa fungicide to minimize fungus action thereon, and it is found that thefungicide copper-S-quinoliholate provides exceptionally good results.Other suitable commercial paint primers may also be used, if desired.

The backing layer 14, which is made of an organic synthetic plasticmaterial which is pliable and stretchable, most preferably polyethylene,impregnates the rear surface of the glass fiber cloth face 12 andoperates to fill the relatively smooth glass fiber strands to preventwarping and sliding of the same. Preferably, this backing layer isapproximately in the neighborhood of .005 inch thick.

In accordance with another aspect of the present vention, instead ofusing a polyethylene or other organic synthetic plastic material whichis normally transparent or translucent, suitable coloring matter isadmixed with the plastic material in any well known manner to render thesame opaque to light. This prevention of light transmission through thecanvas prevents distortion of color heretofore encountered when theartists canvas is used out-of-doors with the sunlight behind the canvas.Within the broader aspects of the invention, it is contemplated that thepliable and stretchable opaque organic synthetic plastic backinglayer'14 be applied to canvas bases made of linen, cotton or othersynthetic fabrics other than the glass fiber base above described torender the same opaque to the passage of light without disturbing therequisite pliability and stretchability of the artists canvas.

The modified canvas 1% shown in Figs. 4 and differs from the canvasshown in Figs. 1-3 in that the glass strands 18 of the glass fiber base12' extending in one direction of weave are made of continuous extrudedfilaments so that the strands running in one direction of the fabric donot have the projecting ends 20 above described. The strands 18 runningin the other direction, however, do have the straddled fiber glassfibers as described in conneetion with the embodiments of Figs. 1through 3. The embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is the preferredembodiment primarily for reasons of cost. Due to the close spacing ofthe strands (for example, 24 strands per inch) making up the fabric base12', the ragged strands for all practical purposes substantially coverthe entire surface area of the canvas.

, While for' purposes of illustration, several preferred forms of thisinvention have been disclosed, other forms thereof may become apparentto those skilled in the art upon reference to this disclosure which comethe spirit of the broader aspects of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. An artists canvas comprising a stretchable and piable woven syntheticfiber cloth base which is resistant to moisture and has strands in atleast one direction of weave which are made of staple synthetic fiberswhose ends are straddled along the lengths of the strands to pro videlaterally projecting fiber ends distributed throughout the length ofeach of such strands, and a thin coating of paint primer impregnatingthe front side of said cloth base and forming a coating following thecontour of the strands, said paint primer coating being of sufficientthinness that said laterally projecting staple fiber ends projecttherethrough to provide a ragged surface to the canvas which aids inremoval of paint from the brush as it is applied to the canvas.

2. An artists canvas comprising a stretchable and pliable woven glassfiber cloth base having strands in at least one direction of weave whichare made of staple fibers whose ends are straddled along the lengths ofthe strands to provide laterally projecting fiber ends distributedthroughout the length of each of such strands, and a thin coating ofpaint primer impregnating the front side of said cloth base and forminga coating following the contour of the strands, said paint primercoating being of sufiicient thinness that said laterally projectingstaple fiber ends project therethrough to provide a ragged surface tothe canvas and the front outer surface of the canvas has the texture ofthe woven glass cloth base, which aid in removal of paint from the brushas it is applied to the canvas.

3. An artists canvas comprising a stretchable and pliable wovensynthetic fiber cloth base which is resistant to moisture and hasstrands in one direction of Weave which are made of staple fibers whoseends are straddled along the lengths of the strands to provide laterallyprojecting fiber ends distributed throughout the length of each of suchstrands, the strands in the other direction of weave being of thecontinuous filament type, and a thin coating of paint primerimpregnating the front side of said cloth base and forming a coatingfollowing the contour of the strands, said paint primer coating being ofsufficient thinness that said laterally projecting staple fiber endsproject therethrough to provide a ragged surface to the canvas whichaids in removal of paint from the brush as it is applied to the canvas.

4. An artists canvas comprising a stretchable and pliable wovensynthetic fiber cloth base having strands in at least one direction ofweave which are made of staple fibers whose ends are straddled along thelengths of the strands to provide laterally projecting fiber endsdistributed throughout the length of each of such strands, a pliable andstretchable synthetic material impregnating the back side of the clothbase, and a thin coating of paint primer impregnating the front side ofsaid cloth base and forming a coating following the contour of thestrands, said paint primer coating being of sufiicient thinness thatsaid laterally projecting staple fiber ends project therethrough'toprovide a ragged surface to the canvas and the front outer surface ofthe canvas has the texture of the cloth base, which aid in removal ofpaint from the brush ash is applied to the canvas.

, 5. An artists canvas comprising a stretchable and pliable wovensynthetic cloth base having strands in at least one direction of weavewhich are made of staple fibers whose ends are straddled along thelengths of the strands to provide laterally projecting fiber endsdistributed throughout the length of each of such strands, the strandsin the other direction of weave being of the continuous filament type; apliable and stretchable synthetic material which is opaque to light andimpregnates the back side of the cloth base so as to prevent the passageof light therethroughwhich would modify the apparent color of the paintto be applied thereto relative to that resulting from pure reflectedlight, and a thin coating of paint primer impregnating the front side ofsaid cloth base and forming a coating following the contour of thestrands, said paint primer coating being of sufiicient thinness thatsaid laterally projecting staple fiber ends project therethrough toprovide a ragged surface to the canvas and the front outer surface ofthe canvas has the texture of the cloth base, which aid in removal ofpaint from the brush as it is applied tothe canvas.

6. An artists canvas comprising a stretchable and pliable Wovenglass'fiber cloth base having strands in one direction of Weave Whichare made of staple fibers whose ends are straddled along the lengths ofthe'strands to provide laterally projecting fiber ends distributedthroughout the length of each of such strands, the strands in the otherdirection of weave being of the continuous filament type, a pliable andstretchable synthetic plastic material which is opaque to lightimpregnating the back side of the cloth base so as to prevent thepassage of light therethrough which would modify the apparent color ofthe paint to be applied thereto relative to that 15 2,681,527

resulting from pure reflected light, and a thin coating of paint primerimpregnating the front side of said cloth base, and forming a coatingfollowing the contour of the strands, said paint primer coating being ofsuflicient thinness that said laterally projecting staple fiber endsproject therethrough to provide a ragged surface to the canvas whichaids in removal of paint from the brush as it is applied to the canvas.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS206,886 Levin Aug. 13, 1878 2,298,295 Hyatt et a1; Oct. 13, 19422,541,497 Buxbaum et al Feb. 13, 1951 Sundt June 22, 1954

